Not everyone is addicted to the internet. Most people surf the net just for fun. But some spend quite a lot of time on the net and a few even feel compulsive to go online. These heavy online users, or veteran netters, are the most interesting subjects to talk about.
Certainly these heavy users are not in pathological status. The online activities have not significantly impacted their real lives yet. Feeling the need to reduce the online time, some may experience the mild withdraw symptoms but keep on going back online. It is like smoking, somewhat addicted but manageable.
Are these people significantly different from those addicts such as Mr. Zhu? (see his story below)
The answer is yes and no.
They are different from Mr. Zhu because they are not socially isolated. However, they may indeed prefer solitude and feel comfortable sitting in front of computers and chatting with netters instead of colleagues.Some people may have a job which doesn’t require many verbal communications. Furthermore, as foreigners, they don’t belong to the mainstream of the society. The longing for belonging certain groups drives them to a place where they can talk in Chinese with similar people. Not proficient in language may be another reason to go online.
These people also don’t have to seek social recognition on the net. However, social recognition still operates at a subtle level. Most people don’t change their nicknames very often. They cherish their nicknames and ensure that names are not stigmatized. In fact, most of them reserve several names for different purpose. Whenever there is a hot debate, all sorts of new names come out, some indeed are brand new but most are old folks. Thus even on the net, most people want some recognitions.
In addition, almost all netters are sensitive people. There are constant fights among them—either on political issues or trivial daily life. For example, many people will reply all posts related to them, no matter whether there is a need or not.
Most importantly, the addictive behavior, i.e., keeping on going back online, results from the rewarding system, the positive feedback which enables us to learn sophisticate modern technology. The rewards in net, namely the acknowledgement and condolence from others, or even the arguing itself, encourage people to involve more and more in the discussion. It is like an endless play, all are actors and audiences. No one wants to quit.
The group affiliation, the social support and social recognition from the group, and the psychological reward from participation and discussion hook people on the net. For many, it is part of their lives.